Connecting the Dots: Top Stories for Tuesday, August 30th

The state Senate has voted against dissolving the Southern California city of Vernon. Assembly speaker John Perez initially proposed the bill because Vernon is home to a mere 100 residents, but boasts 1,000 businesses, making it a historic hotbed of corruption. He’s disappointed that the bill did not pass and sees the decision as a gross oversight. However, the vote follows a decision by the Vernon City Council to enact a series of reforms. Senators who voted against the disincorporation of Vernon argue it is better to reform than to build “with a sledgehammer…”

Speaking of building with questionable materials, as its year-long investigation draws to a close, PG&E has yet to produce a record of sale that reveals the source of the faulty pipe that caused the explosion in San Bruno. Authorities are concerned because a number of other “mongrel” pipe pieces within the nearby system are also of unclear origin. PG&E has promised to run a high pressure water test on its pipes to locate any other possible faulty welds. This morning the National Transportation Safety Board held a press conference to present the findings of its investigation. New video of the blast is available here…

The debate over internet sales tax is blowing up. Wal-Mart has been a vocal critic of Amazon’s reluctance to collect California sales tax for online purchases. But the California Board of Equalization has turned its attention back to Wal-Mart, because third-party sellers who conduct business through Walmart.com are not forced to pay state sales tax…

In the meantime Governor Jerry Brown is hoping to raise taxes in an area that will be supported by the public while evoking minimal push-back from wealthy special interests. But the deadline for submission looms and current economic forecasts don’t suggest that the public will be any more enthusiastic about paying more taxes of any kind come ballot time in November 2012…

As Democrats struggle to maintain popular support, Republicans who oppose the freshly redrawn district lines are looking to stir the pot. As they collect signatures for a referendum aiming to overturn the new district maps, the redistricting committee is crying foul, arguing that the language used in the referendum is misleading. If the referendum is successful, there seems to be a bit of confusion as to what exactly the consequences might be…

Aware of dwindling public support and rising frustration with train delays, Anonymous, the group organizing the BART protests, called for less disruptive demonstrations, and so far it looks like the protesters have heeded that advice. After last night’s BART protests, two demonstrators were arrested, and there were no reported delays. Protesters say they will continue to demonstrate until BART makes substantial policy changes to prevent future incidents like the shooting of Charles Hill.